Revitalising our democracy

On the UK and electoral reform.

As I write this, Parliament has just voted in favour of electoral reform. The bill, which will almost certainly not become law, was pushed by the Liberal Democrats, with the support of 59 Labour backbenchers.  I believe this to be a step in the right direction for both our country and our democracy.

In a democracy you have to be a player, as Hunter S Thompson told us. It’s true – one of the building blocks of a liberal democracy is an active citizenry, an idea that dates back to the first Enlightenment democracies in Europe. Perhaps nowhere is this more obvious than in the Constitution of the United States of America, which enshrines to US citizens the right to form militias, bear arms and speak freely. Democracies thrive when their citizens are active, when the electorate’s decisions truly makes a difference.

Yet across the Western world, belief in liberal democracy is waning. The UK is no exception, with 45% of one BSA report saying they “almost never” trust governments of any party to put the needs of the nation above those of their own party.  Keir Starmer’s approval ratings have collapsed after only 5 months in power – something clearly isn’t working.

One possible solution could be found in reforming our electoral system, from First past Past the Post to Proportional Representation. For too long the UK has suffered under a Labour/Tory dichotomy which prevents smaller parties from making their way into Parliament – PR would change that. Too many across the nation feel that Westminster is out of touch and removed from their issues – PR would create an empowered, grassroots electorate.

Parties that are new to the Parliament scene, such as the Greens and Reform, support a change to the electoral system, and are growing increasingly popular– if traditional parties wish to remain relevant and prevent a backlash, they would do well to recognise the need for change. Both Labour and the Tories may be hesitant to give up their dominance over British politics, the situation may soon be out of their hands. If we wish to stave off explosive rhetoric and demagoguery, we must change the system – the electorate must have its voice heard.

With climate change and ever-growing global instability, a system of proportional representation would hand the power back to the local level and allow for a greater breadth of ideas to tackle the problems of our time. First Past the Post simply isn’t flexible enough, forcing voters into two camps. PR would restock the Marketplace of Ideas and help reduce the increasing polarisation of our politics.